Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The United States Navy and Mine Warfare in the 21st Century
Date
2013-09-04
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Abstract
This thesis analyzes the adequacy of the United States Navy (USN) when facing an enemy employing naval mines in a narrow waterway in the 21st century. Recent threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran to “close” the Strait of Hormuz and its oil traffic make the issue of mine warfare especially poignant, given the significant role mines have played in that region over the last thirty years. This thesis argues the USN’s technological efforts at improving its mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities since the end of the Cold War have been insufficient. An examination of MCM development efforts seeks to explain why such a crucial warfare capability remains lacking, and a historical comparative approach with the Dardanelles campaign in the First World War is used to illustrate the strategic significance of naval mines, as well as challenges the USN may face in attempting to reopen a mined Strait of Hormuz.
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Keywords
Middle Eastern, United States, Military Studies
Citation
Choi, T. H. (2013). Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The United States Navy and Mine Warfare in the 21st Century (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27240